Reviews by BeerFMAndy:

16 oz can poured into a snifter. (Yes, I'm disobedient.)
8% ABV, Hard to "drink fresh" with no date. "Don't be a d-bag, recycle this can!"

Big thanks to Rochefort10NH for sending this my way! I knew this beer would be good but I should have taken his suggestion for 4 cans, not just 2. Oy.

A - Pouring slowly from the can (yeah, for review I find it necessary to disobey the can's blatant directions) Heady Topper is a fully cloudy, tainted golden apricot color. Head rises up but this beer certainly isn't heady. Low retention but delicate lace patches the glass.

S - It's hard to experience a better, fuller, hop-rich aroma. Bursting with American hop goodness, this Double IPA rocks out with bold pine sap and sticky lupulin gland resin. Citrus plays a part but certainly doesn't run the show here. Mild pineapple falls behind grapefruit and lemon zest.

M - This can reads, "So drinkable, it's scary." I'd have to agree wholeheartedly. It could just be the explosive hop profile but, the alcohol percent isn't even perceived here. From the perfectly smooth mouthfeel to the grippingly bitter, freshly squeezed grapefruit juice-like finish, this chewy Double IPA is a pleasure to pass over the tongue.

O - I think the crude can drawing is trying to depict the back of this guy's head exploding with hops while a giant smile creeps from behind his beard. After I got my first whiff, I almost had to check the back one mine too! What a hop rush! While Heady Topper isn't the craziest beer our there, and they acknowledge it on the can, it's fantastic balanced makes it one of the greatest Double IPAs out there!

(Observation; though they exclaim, "DRINK FROM THE CAN!" the can clearly shows this guy drinking from a pint. Things that make you go, "hmm".)

More User Reviews:

So if your beer tastes like this, maybe you only need to make one. There's likely no way that you'll ever out do Heady-Topper so just stop right there!

With a controlled and creamy pour of medium gold elixir, this hazy and glowing ale constructs a creamy, cottony white head with substantial retention and islands of lace. Overall, this is one sexy beer!

Seductive and mouthwatering citrus aromas abound from from the rim of the glass. The straight-up juicy fruity scent of the freshly squeezed pulp of ripe ruby red grapefruit with elements of citric acids, fruit sweetness that seems of thin honey, and some softer tropical notes of mango and apricot. It's impossible to put your nose so close to the glass without taking a sip.

The delicious delight of a beer delivers the straight forward grapefruit flavor just as the nose promises. The sweet pulp of fresh-picked ruby reds couldn't be more spot-on. Resiny as the citrus flavors seem to coat the mouth while the stripping of enamel commences. Soft caramel malts support the hops with the supple and elegant sweetness of powdered sugar and honey, but do so without contrast- make no mistake about it, this is a hop-forward ale with the likes that rarely seen. A very delicate yet hop-dominant balance throughout. Any estery fruitiness would weave into the hop matrix and inform the beer with complementary notes of tropical mangoes, apricots, and pineapple. Succulent and savory throughout, even as the beer's elegant hop flavor develops into soft resiny bitterness that grips the gullet with kid gloves in finish and aftertaste. Only the strong taste of alcohol for moderate 8% that reminds me of super glue is the only slight defect in taste.

Very creamy and delicate on the palate from the initial sip and deep into the middle portion of the palate. All the while coating the mouth with citrusy acids, diluted pine resin, and light sticky honey. The beer's carbonation develops a malty-dry finish that retains its soft malty body while contributing pleasant alcohol warmth and an extended citrusy bitterness.

When you're convinced of the impossibility of ever tasting a better IPA, something like this comes along and shows new possibility in flavor intensity, dryness, drnkability, and absolute elegance and finesse. It's hard to keep this beer off of the "perfect" line score.

Hop insanity in a can! Lots of talk about this brewski finally being canned. The greatness forgives the sheer rawness it brings to the palate. In our opinion, this is what sets it apart from other highly hopped ales in the US. Keep it tamed in the can, as pouring it out will only show the extreme rustic measures to make this beer.

Ok being an IPA lover for many years Iv wanted to try this for ever! my amazing girlfriend just got 2 4packs for me for christmas,I got it 2 days early! :)

Looks:
The beer itself looks amazing in a glass,a very thick,non-clear unfiltered,straw colored beer,I like unfiltered:) as I poured into a dogfish head IPA glass is looked even better then I thought,the foamy heady grew and grew and stayed for days it seemed!

Smell:
As I opened the can,and heard that crack of it opening i was smiling ear to ear lol...
the smell is a strong hoppy hop field,with pine resins and more hops! easly the best beer Iv ever smelt! and although I love IPA's more then any other,and iv had some amazing ones before,the smell of this was notches above anything Iv ever had the chance to smell:)

Taste:
Right after smelling it I was so excited! this is the momment Iv been waiting for,for years lol...my dreams have been answered!
It says to drink from the can,I did try the first sip from the can and then gently poured it into a nice IPA glass,spent for mins smelling it! lol...
The first taste was heaven in a glass! the best tasting beer on earth? probably!

Conclusions:
does it live up to the hype?
Oh fuck ya! the best smelling and tasting IPA iv ever had the privlege to try! it was well worth the wait! I drank a can last night without a glass,and out of the can I wouldnt rate it as good,I think this beer needs to be in a glass!
Thanks to my wonderful and amazing girlfriend I now not only got to try the heady topper,I got a few extras as well! these cans are a day or 2 old from the brewery so im happy as can be,will be a great christmas:)

Damn, this is hoppy. That's about my first impression immediately upon popping the cap off of this. With that, I should say huge, huge thanks to rpstevens and kingcrowing for sending me bottles of this, the latter of which was a complete surprise. One bottle to be consumed tonight, the other to be shared with friends this weekend.

This bottle is shared with Amyliz4 and poured into two of our larger, unbranded tulips. The pour yields a slightly-hazed bright peach body with a two-finger head. Pretty good retention and plenty of spotty lacing as it makes its way down to a bit of rocky foam sitting atop the brew. A fairly-thick collar remains on the brew throughout as more spots settle on the sides of the glass.

As previously stated, the aroma on this is damn near epic and remains amazing throughout. The initial whiff slammed my nostrils with dominant notes of tropical fruit, citrus rind, and a bit of pine. Each swirl kicks up another bit of aroma with some mango skin and passion fruit taking hold at first. Behind that is a flock of citrus and an overload of ripe peaches. Following behind all this when you sniff really hard is a nice finish of some piney resin.

The flavor picks up where the nose left off, though doesn't quite dominate my senses like the nose did. With that said, this is some really, really incredible stuff. I'll start off with one of my only complaints, which is that the hop flavor isn't quite as pungent as the aroma is. Still, there is some fairly-radical hop flavor to balance the hop bitterness. Did you hear that many makers of East Coast IPAs? Malt sweetness doesn't provide balance to bitterness in a fantastic double IPA, lovely and luscious fruit flavors do.

Mango, passion fruit, and guava make their way into the mix. The strong, strong bitterness levels really elevate the citrus presence and make me think of some good grapefruit rind. The body on this does an absolutely remarkable job accentuating the hops. There's not an ounce of sweetness, but there's enough body to really pull everything together. The bitterness in the finish is uber-high and leaves my mouth quite dry. There's certainly a solution for that--have some more.

I've been waiting a long, long time to finally try this one. Unlike an unfortunately-large percentage of other beers with so much hype, I have enjoyed this immensely. Huge, huge thanks again to Ryan and Nick for the chance to finally try this. Cheers to both of you.

After years of hearing all the hype about this brew, and wondering if I'd ever get the chance to try it without making a special trip to Vermont, I finally hold a can of this "whale" in my hand. I'd like to give a special thanks to Jason for this amazing gift. My excitement is mounting, time to crack it open...

Poured a small amount into a sample snifter for appearance, I will enjoy the rest from the can as instructed.

S: Very intense and pleasant hoppy, and fruity aromas immediately bombard the nostrils. Fresh citrus rind, grapefruit, blood orange, mango, and other tropical fruits meld perfectly with a dank herbal hoppyness. I also pick up some slight hints of sweet bread like malts, honey, and even fresh mint. It's pretty incredible how quickly the smell dominates the senses immediately as the can is cracked open, it instantaneously wowed me. This is quite possibly the best aroma I have ever gotten from an IPA especially considering the fact that you get so much of it even when drinking from a can. This is unprecedented for me.

T: Holy f**k! I have been drinking some absolutely savage IPA's lately, but this is on a whole other level. Big Flavors of citrus and tropical fruits blast your taste buds, and follow the mold the aromas lay out for you. Grapefruit, blood orange, apricot, lemon, mango and papaya blend together perfectly with grassy herbal, and resiny pine hop bitterness, and a subtly sweet malt backbone. This is one of the best tastes to have ever graced my tongue. I am beyond impressed, I didn't think it could be this good, damn was I wrong.

M: Full bodied with a nice juicy character. Medium to high amount of bubbly carbonation. Very slight hint of alcohol warmth. Rediculously drinkable with a crisp refreshing finish and pleasant lingering bitterness.

O: Wow! I must say this transcended all of my expectations, and surpassed the hype. I may legitimately shed a tear when I take my last sip. I wish I could get this regularly because I would drink it everyday if I could. I have had probably well over a 1,000 brews and this is one I would easily put in my top 25. It may take the cake as far as IPA's go. Obviously there are still some great ones I have yet to try, but at this moment in time this is my new benchmark IPA. If you ever have the chance to try this DO IT! Truly a nectar of the Gods beer.

The most perfectly balanced IPA I have ever had. Pours pretty thick with a strong head. Smells very earthy with nice hop aromas. Waves of flavors from sweet to citrus with a crisp dry finish and never wrecks your palette. I went out of may way to tried not to buy into the hype. But in the end it won me over, best beer I have ever tasted.

S = Oh my god... I can smell this from 3 feet away. Popping the tab on the can immediately filled the air with the aroma of sweet fruit juice. Resinous, orangey, piney hops, so juicy and sweet, lots of tropical fruit notes such as mango, papaya, pineapple, maybe some tangerine. This is heavenly.

T = If you had told me this was fruit juice, I would have believed you. Orange, pine, more tropical fruit, coating your tongue in waves of oily, resinous hoppiness. Bitterness is restrained, letting the flavor and aroma of the hops shine through. Malts take a backseat in this beer for sure. Estery alcohols shine through at the end.

Long time awaiting this masterpiece -- was the fortunate recipient of this tremendous beer from a fellow patriot and beer guy from Vermont that hand carried it back to Germany from the Northeast Craft Beer Mecca! Poured into and enjoyed from a Spiegelau IPA glass – sorry, John, I just can’t drink this White Whale from the can.

APPEARANCE -- Cloudy, light amber and alive w/ carbonation. Thick off-white, sticky head that left strong rings of lacing w/ each and every sip – MOTO!

SMELL – Powerful floral & herbal aroma that motivates – GET SOME!

TASTE – Wonderful citrus & flowery hop flavor that is surprisingly NOT overpowering but well balanced and unquestionably an epic DIPA – OORAH!

MOUTHFEEL – Nice smooth feel w/ a carbonized refreshing finish – GOOD PIECE OF GEAR, LAMINATE IT AND TAKE IT TO THE FIELD!

OVERALL – A Top Notch DIPA that absolutely lived up to the hype! A long time waiting for this beer, but w/out a doubt worth the wait! Would love to do a head-to-head w/ PtY and RuinTen to determine who the King of IPAs really is, but in the end a great beer that makes me proud to be an American – SEMPER IPA MAC!

It’s like a jungle sometimes it makes me wonder how I keep from going under!

Canning date unknown, but purchased on October 23rd, presumably from the 10/22 delivery day.

Appearance - Poured a few ounces into a glass to give a description of the appearance, but the rest of the review will be from the can as requested to be drank by the brewer. The brew is hazy and kind of a dull golden orange color, like watered down orange juice. Very little head that is quick to dissipate, leaving a mostly barren surface and thin ring around the edge of the glass. Lace consists of a few small spots around the glass, with fair stick.

Taste - Follows the nose. Caramel malt underbody is more noticeable, and play wonderfully off the prominent, but controlled hop profile. Leafy/minty hops nearly outshine the citrus, grapefruit punch, while undertones of pine pop through. There's also a hint of pineapple zing, though it's quick and fading. Finish is leafy and slightly minty with a touch of citrus.

Mouthfeel - Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. Texture is smooth, oily slick and dangerously chuggable with a semi-dry finish. Possibly the best attribute here.

Overall - I can see how this is a popular beer, but it's nearly impossible to live up to the legendary expectations that precede it; an awesome brew with very little distribution makes for a hell of a whale. That's what I've found. If this were more widely distributed I don't think it'd quite have the fanatical following it has, but by that same token it's one of the better DIPA's I've had. My advice: don't go Ahab for it.

Don't believe the hype. Is it a good Imperial IPA? Yes? Is it worth all the hullabalo no. Is it the best? Not even close. Honestly don't understand the big deal with this beer. There are many better imperial IPA's out there. I think it being hard to get adds to the mystique of it but honestly there are other Vermont beers that are just as good. Do I regret buying it? No because going to this store allowed me to select a bunch of other delicious choices.

L - Kate Upton in a glass. In other words, a 20-something babe who's voluptuous and will never look this good again. Yet, here's the difference: Heady Topper will always look this good because Alchemist has gone to great lengths to perfect this beer. Super turbid, excellent head retention and brilliant variations of orange when held to the light. Only poured to extract a true interpretation of the look. This isn't my first dance with Heady. Drink from the can!
S - I want to apologize to my daughter's mother in advance, because I've never smelled anything like this. I used to smell her when I was at work; I could smell her on the pillow weeks after she was gone. This f*cking beer. Where do I even begin? People brag about opening something and smelling it clear across the room. I have gotten hints of that before, yet not on this level. You crack the can and it consumes your area. It doesn't exist in your space; you exist in the confines of it, which is far reaching. The absolute perfect blend of grapefruit and grass character. The best smelling beer of all-time, period.
T - Let's be real, if the nose doesn't hit the tongue equally, the beer isn't shit. This beer caresses the palate like young lovers exploring each other for the first time. The grapefruit character is the first thing that hits your tongue, along with faint hints of grainy cracker. Mid-palate I get the slightest dose of pineapple, with a gentle wisp of orange peel. The entire time it's so fucking balanced that Mary Lou Retton keeps texting me about her gold medals. Relax, girl. They aren't going anywhere! I could literally drink this for the rest of my life.
F - Tongue smacking bitterness, yet mastered. It's not a full on assault; actually, every time I reach for that OMG moment, there's a soft pillow of excellence that caresses my head to remind me how much effort was put into this beer.

There was a time when PtE and HT were compared to each other. Then the new wave IPAs started to appear. This isn't my first encounter with Heady, nor my last. I, for one, am a fan of the modern day interpretation of the IPA and it begins and ends with this one. I haven't had them all, but I've had enough to know what I like and don't like. This is a masterpiece. They will never have to release a 2.0 or modify the recipe slightly. It doesn't stand toe-to-toe; it stands above anything I've ever drank.

Can you hear that sound? It's the f*cking angels singing. Or maybe it's Lauryn Hill. Heady-la-la. That's the way Kimmich sound when he's doing his thing!

Served a pale amber with a small light head. Hops are the flavor of choice here, but they are done right. Such a yummy bite. Actually does live up to it's name as the hops are strong enough to give off the heady within the buzz. Hops are not overly complex, yet not too simple either. This is one of the best IPAs I've ever had. Served only in 12oz glasses, the abv is not at all apparent. Sooo smooth. I'm sad that El Jefe is no longer on the menu, but I'd take the Heady Topper over the chief anyday.

The beer that changed beer drinking for me. This is by far my favorite beer. Complex hop flavors that hit you over and over! I can't get enough of it! Every time I crack one open its like the gates of Heaven are opening for me, while simultaneously my scalp is exploding off the top of my head. Delicious!! Quite difficult to come by, luckily my Grandma lives in Vermont and is able to get a "somewhat" steady supply to me. Salud!!

Well.... i live here in the great state of vermont. And i can get heady topper pretty much whene ever i want (im a chef, always have the stuff). This is a good IPA. I like it for its culture shock and I respect its cult folowing, however i actually do not like the beer. Its unbalanced, and dry hopped way to long for my taste. As a chef im always looking for balence and this just does not have it. But i do understand why hop heads around the country flock for it.

From the can. Wonderful complexity in the taste profile - so much citrus flavor and aroma (especially grapefruit) in the beginning, then the sweet/bitter hoppy taste as the sip goes down. When fresh, this, in my opinion, is the epitome of Double IPA VT. beers.

Pours cloudy and bright radiant gold with huge 3-finger head that eventually settles to 1. Sticky and bubbly lacing remains along the top and sides of the glass. (Yea, didn't drink from the can... but wanted to be able to look at it).

Aroma is a rainbow of tropical and citrus flavors. Tangerine, grapefruit and pear come through as well as grassy marijuana dankness.

Taste follows the nose, minus the dank, and the drink down is incredibly light and smooth with grapefruit and hops lingering.

The OG NE hazy tropical IPA. This started it all, including the IPA 4-pack tall-boy canning craze, and it's still a top contender. One of the most balanced and delicious ever. The hype is real and justified.

Ok. Here I go. Got this from beerme330, big ups dude. Thank you. Drank it from the can other than a small amount poured to get a look at it. Looks like a floaty filled home brew. Smell was hops, tho they didn't eminate from the can as other have stated. Taste was quite hoppy with a bit of bitterness but it had an overwhelming booziness to it I didn't expect for 8%. Some citrus and tropical fruits present, but not nearly the life altering menagerie of lupulin I expected/hoped for.
Feel and carbonation were spot on for DIPA. OVERALL A VERY GOOD BEER, but not something I'd kill someone, in front of they own grandma for. Maybe I'm in the minority but...

Got this one from De Hopduvel in Ghent, BE. The next one I will drink from the can, but this one I had to dissect. No idea how fresh it is.
Golden-orange pour, hazy, with very little head and no retention. It does give way to a very fine and sticky lacing, but is in no way impressive looking - the focus must be on the taste.
The smell is like a typical west-coast IPA, lots of pine, citrus (grapefruit mostly, and some lime) and tropical fruit aromas, some dankness, maybe some green apples, a bit of honey and a slight funkiness.
Moderately complex and balanced taste. Pine notes up front, citrus (grapefruit and lime again), followed by the sweeter notes of pineapple, papaya, mango. Bitter-sweet aftertaste, and a surprisingly light body. On the down side, it does have a strong herbal bitterness in the end, and the alcohol is a bit too present in the aftertaste, but maybe I had an old can, not sure.
Decent beer, definitely one I would try again, but not the best IPA out there.